Tuesday night’s episode ofAmerican Idol, which followed what seemed like the longest audition process ever, with endless emergency room visits, flu bouts, and even a peek atSteven Tyler’s derriere, we finally got to hear the first live performances from the top 25.

When we last left our family show (Tyler needed a reminder about Idol’s target audience from Randy Jackson, as he brought up not just his own backside but Jennifer Lopez’s alleged Oscar wardrobe malfunction in another of the rocker’s classic awkward moments), we were told that the show’s traditional top 24 would be adding a “mystery” contestant, a 13th guy added to the already selected top 12 male singers. This stunt was used onX Factor with great success, asSimon Cowell admitted his mistake in cutting Melanie Amaro, then reinstated her place in the competition, mentoring her all the way to victory. Read More...